Portable infrared control liaison

• US 8,233,802 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2009
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Friedman, Lee G.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, DZUNG D
• Application Number:
  US12/651,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20110158652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 398/116, 398124-125, 398127-128, 398/130, 398106-113
• US Class Current: 398/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information

Abstract

A remote control liaison device for use in controlling a remote controlled device via a LAN device includes a processor, a wireless transceiver, a remote control signal emitter, a remote control signal emitter adapter, an infrared signal detector, an indicator signal light, a power interface, and memory media accessible to the processor. The memory media may include instructions executable by the processor to establish a communication channel between the remote control liaison device and the LAN device using the wireless transceiver; convert a remote control command signal received from the LAN device for control of the remote controlled device into a device command executable by the remote controlled device; and send an infrared command signal corresponding to the device command to the remote controlled device using at least one of the remote control signal emitter and a second remote control signal emitter connected to the remote control signal emitter adapter.

Claims

1. A remote control liaison device, comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a remote control signal emitter;

an indicator signal light configured to indicate a status of the remote control liaison device, wherein the status is selected from a plurality of possible states;

a processor; and

memory media accessible to the processor, storing program instructions executable by the processor to;

establish a communication channel between the remote control liaison device and a local area network device using the wireless transceiver;

convert a remote control command signal received from the local area network device for control of a remote controlled device into a device command executable by the remote controlled device;

send an infrared command signal corresponding to the device command to the remote controlled device using the remote control signal emitter; and

responsive to determining the current status of the remote control liaison device, cause the indicator signal light to the current status.

2. The remote control liaison device of claim 1, further comprising:

a power interface configured to couple to a power source.

3. The remote control liaison device of claim 2, wherein the power interface is a universal serial bus connector.

4. The remote control liaison device of claim 3, wherein the universal serial bus connector is configured to couple the remote control liaison device in close proximity to the remote controlled device, and further wherein the remote control liaison device receives power from the remote controlled device.

5. The remote control liaison device of claim 1, wherein the program instructions include instructions to:

responsive to establishing the communications channel, determine if the local area network device is authorized to transmit the remote control command signal for control of the remote controlled device.

6. The remote control liaison device of claim 1, wherein the program instructions include instructions to:

receive configuration data, wherein the configuration data includes information for converting the remote control command signal into the device command.

7. The remote control liaison device of claim 6, wherein the configuration data is received from the local area network device.

8. The remote control liaison device of claim 7, wherein the configuration data is received via the wireless transceiver.

9. The remote control liaison device of claim 7, wherein the configuration data is received using a universal serial bus interface coupled to the local area network device.

10. The remote control liaison device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of possible light states include a constant on state, a constant off state, and an intermittent on/off state.

11. A remote control liaison device, comprising:

a wireless receiver;

a first remote control signal emitter;

a remote control signal emitter interface configured to receive a second remote control signal emitter;

an indicator signal light configured indicate a current status of the remote control liaison device, wherein the current status is selected from a plurality of possible states;

a processor; and

memory media, accessible to the processor, storing program instructions executable by the processor to;

receive a remote control command signal from the local area network device using the wireless receiver;

convert the remote control command signal into an infrared command signal executable by a remote controlled device;

send infrared command data corresponding to the infrared command signal to the remote controlled device using the remote control signal emitter interface and at least one of the first remote control signal emitter and the second remote controller signal emitter; and

responsive to the determining the current status of the remote control liaison device, cause the indicator signal light to indicate the current status.

12. The remote control liaison device of claim 11, further comprising:

a network adapter configured to connect to at least one of the local area network device and the remote controlled device.

13. The remote control liaison device of claim 12, wherein the network adapter includes a universal serial bus interface.

14. The remote control liaison device of claim 13, wherein the network adapter provides power for the remote control liaison device from at least one of the local area network device and the remote controlled device.

15. The remote control liaison device of claim 12, wherein the remote control liaison device receives configuration data from the local area network device using at least one of the network adapter and the wireless transceiver.

16. The remote control liaison device of claim 11, further comprising an infrared signal detector wherein the program instructions include instructions executable to:

receive infrared command signals using the infrared signal detector; and

store the received infrared command signals.

17. A remote control liaison device, comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a first remote control signal emitter;

a remote control signal emitter interface configured to receive a second remote control signal emitter;

an indicator signal light wherein the indicator signal light is configured to occupy a plurality of states, wherein each state indicates a status of the remote control liaison device;

a processor; and

memory media accessible to the processor, including instructions executable by the processor to;

establish a communication channel between the remote control liaison device and a local area network device using the wireless transceiver;

convert a first remote control command signal received from the local area network device into a first device command executable by a first remote controlled device;

convert a second remote control command signal received from the local area network device into a second device command executable by a second remote controlled device;

send a first infrared command signal corresponding to the first command signal to the first remote controlled device using at least one of the remote control signal emitter and the remote control signal emitter interface;

send a second infrared command signal corresponding to the second command signal to the second remote controlled device using at least one of the remote control signal emitter and the remote control signal emitter interface;

determine the status of the remote control liaison device; and

responsive to the determined status, cause the indicator signal light to occupy a corresponding state selected from one of the plurality of states.

18. The remote control liaison device of claim 17 further comprising:

a universal serial bus connector.

19. The remote control liaison device of claim 18, wherein the remote control liaison receives power using the universal serial bus connector.